Valve-operating mechanism for flush tanks



Dec.'11 1923. 1,476,813

w. u. GRIFFITHS VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed Dec. 25, 1922 v16 sage i W 4, F :1.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

.fiush tank providedwith Patented Dec. 11,1923.

WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS, OF

LLANVVELLYN, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-OPERATING MECHANIShI FOR FLUSH TANKS.

Application filed December 23, 1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM U. GRIF- FITHS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Llanwellyn, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Valve-Operating Mechanism for Flush the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for operating the valves of flush tanks for water closet apparatus and the like, and it has for its general object to provide a construction which may be secured readily and quickly to a wall of a flush tank.

It also has for an object to provide means whereby an operating lever is both pivotally and slidably supported at a point intermediate its ends.

To these and other ends my invention comrehends the construction as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which is illustrated one form of mechanical embodiment of the said invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section of a valve operating means embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in inside elevation of the said mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the means for pivotally and slidably supporting the valve operating lever at a point intermediate its ends.

Referring to the drawing: 1 designates the flush tank of a water closet apparatus or the like having an outlet port at 2 which is connectedwith a siphon 3. The outlet port 2 is controlled by a pivoted valve 4 which is adapted to be operated by means of a rod 5 having connection at its lower end to the outer or swinging edge of the said valve and at its upper end to the inner end of a lever 7 The opposite end of said lever is connected to a crank pin 8 upon the outer end of a crank 9 which is secured to the inner end of a rotatably supported shaft 10 which is mounted in a bearing 11 which extends from the outside of a wall of the flush tank 1 I through an opening 12 therethrough. The inner end portion of the said bearing is screw threaded as indicated at 13. The said Tanks, of which Serial No. 608,623.

bearing 11 is provided with a flange 14 which is adapted to contact with the portions of the outer side of the wall of the flush tank 1 surrounding the opening 12. The inner end portion of the said bearing extends through an opening 15 through the inner end of a bar 16. The said opening 15 also extends through a lug or projection 17 upon the said bar 16 the exterior of which lug or projection is polygonal in shape. As illustrated, the said lug or projection is square or rectangular in cross section, but it may be of triangular, hexagonal or other shape in cross section. The said lug is adapted to fit a correspondingly shaped enlargement 20 at the inner end of the opening 12. The outer end of the bar 16 is provided with an inwardly extending pin 21 with which the lever 7 contacts and upon which it rests, as is clearly shown in the drawing. The sleeve 11 as well as the bar 16 is held in place by means of a nut 22 which engages the outer screw threaded end portion 13 of the said sleeve. By securing the nut 22 upon the said inner screw threaded end portion the flange 14 is clamped against the outer side portion of the wall surrounding the opening 12, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The shaft 10 and operating handle 25 are capable of complete rotation for the purpose of causing pivotal and sliding movement of the lever 7 upon the pin 21 to efi'eot operation of the link 5 to open and close the valve 4. 7

Normally the crank arm 9 extends upwardly at an angle as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 with the valve 4 in closed position. Upon rotating the handle 25 and the shaft 10 to which the said handle is connected the outer end of the said lever is depressed or moved downwardly while the inner end thereof, connected with the upper end of the rod 5, is elevated, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to open the valve 4. Upon opening the valve 4 the Water starts to flow outwardly through the port or opening 2 which puts the siphon 3 in operation. Upon release of the handle 25 the valve 4 closes and thereafter the water flows from the tank 1 through the siphon 3 and out through the opening 2.

aving thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a valve, a stationary lever support, a lever slidably and pivotally supportedvupon said-support, means for operating saidlever to cause pivotal and sliding movement thereof 11 on its su port and means connecting the innerend oi saidlever Wlllll said valve whereby the said movements of said lever effect opening. and closing of said valve.

f 2. In combination, a valve for opening and closing a port, a support, a lever pivotally and-slidably supportedby said support, at F rotatableshalt havlnp; an arm connected withthe'outer-end ofsaid lever a distance "fromsaid support, and means having connection with the inner end'oi said lever and the outflow of water fron a tank, ashaft r0- tatably supported upon a Wall of said tank, said shaft being provided with an arm upon its inner end, a bearing for said shaft, a bar supported upon said hearing, which bar is provided at; its outer endwith a pin extendinginwardly of said tank, means for securing the said bearing and said bar in place upon said wall, a lever having pivotal connection with the arm uponsaid shaft, which lever is slidably and pivotallv supported upon said pin, and connecting means between said valve and the inner swinging end of sa-id lever.

In testimony thatiIzclaim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 20th day of December, A. D. 1922.

' WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS. 

